Pentagon: China Sees Space Systems “Central To Modern Warfare”

21 August 2018Space News reports that an annual Department of Defense report on China’s military capabilities found that the country’s military strategists see space-based systems, and the denial of access to such systems, as “central to modern warfare.” Despite its public statements to the contrary, China is “stepping up the militarization of space.” According to the report, China sees space operations as a “key enabler” of efforts “aimed at countering third-party intervention,” and is “increasing the number and capabilities of its space systems, including various communications and intelligence satellites and the Beidou navigation satellite system.” China also is expanding its surveillance capabilities of objects both across the globe and in space in order to “enable counterspace actions.” The Defense Department report concludes that China’s space program continues to mature rapidly, and that China likely will “launch, assemble in-orbit, and operate a crewed Chinese space station before 2025.” The Pentagon also cited Chinese interest in quantum satellites, including the “unconditional security of network data across long distances, ultimately creating a global quantum network of classical (i.e.non-quantum) data secured by quantum cryptographic keys.” (Image Credit: USAF)More Info (Space News)